Judge postpones Detroit block party preliminary hearing decision for unrelated issue

Judge delays trial decision for block party shooting

A Detroit judge paused a preliminary hearing Monday that could send the suspect in the block party shooting last summer to trial.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A judge ended the preliminary hearing for a mass shooting suspect accused of injuring 19 people and killing two others early on Monday.

The hearing, which is to decide whether 19-year-old Demitrus Shaw should stand trial for the summer shooting case in Detroit in 2024, will resume on Wednesday.

Demitrus Shaw

What's next:

Court is expected to return to the case on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Attorneys were in the middle of closing arguments when an unexpected issue in a separate federal trial arose, requiring the defense counsel to be needed elsewhere.

Judge Shawn Jacque said the "very special circumstance" encountered on Monday meant he would break court for the next two days.

At the time, the prosecution had given its closing argument, using footage of the shooting to make its case against Shaw. The defense started its rebuttal with motions to suppress a police interrogation.

The prosecution will have a chance to respond when court resumes.

The backstory:

Around 2:30 a.m. July 7, 2024, gunfire at a party sent crowds fleeing. The shooting killed 20-year-old Shanae Fletcher and 21-year-old Phillip Arnold Jr., and injured victims ranging in age from 17 to 27.

During Shaw's preliminary examination last week, witnesses described hearing more than 100 shots while a large crowd was gathered for a party near Schoenherr and E. State Fair.

After a months-long investigation, Shaw was arrested and charged with a long list of felonies. According to court testimony, the shooting is believed to have been gang-related, and started after two women began fighting.

The deadly shooting led to a block party crackdown in Detroit, with police reiterating requirements for holding these types of gatherings and upping patrols.